Opening the window on public health to veterinary students.

Veterinary public health is defined by the World Health Organization as: 'the sum of all contributions to the physical, mental, and social well-being of humans through an understanding and application of veterinary science'. The role of animals and wildlife as sources of human diseases continues to increase. As demand for public health veterinarians will similarly continue to increase, the veterinary profession must make a concentrated effort to encourage veterinary students to pursue careers in this field, and increase the opportunities for training and experience in this area for both veterinary students and graduates. In this paper, the authors describe the existing opportunities for training in or practising as a public health veterinarian, with a particular focus on the United States of America.